Henry Plant Museum

Henry Plant Museum Peek behind the scenes at the Henry Plant Museum. Travel back in time via historic trivia & etiquette A visit to the Henry B.
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When you’re building a railroad to nowhere, how do you make the journey worthwhile? …. If you’re railroad magnate Henry Bradley Plant, in the midst of the sand swamps that would be Tampa, you construct the most astonishingly magnificent hotel of its day, then fill it with treasures from around the world. With its splendid Moorish architecture, opulent furnishings, and spectacular tropical gardens,

Plant’s Tampa Bay Hotel attracted a host of celebrated guests, from Teddy Roosevelt to Sarah Bernhardt to Babe Ruth. Plant Museum and the authentically restored rooms of the Tampa Bay Hotel will transport you back to a time of indulgent 10-course meals, waltzing on the verandah and alligator hunting by moonlight…The journey is still worthwhile.

09/05/2026

Join Executive Director Dr. Charles McGraw Groh for a look behind the scenes at the Museum. Because fabric naturally deteriorates over time, finding original textiles from the historic Tampa Bay Hotel’s 40-year run is incredibly rare.

Today, we’re highlighting two remarkable survivals:

🏆 Original Carpeting: A rare surviving piece is on display, plus a framed section preserved in another exhibit room.

🪑The "Reverse" Chair: An extraordinary piece of conservation where the original upholstery was saved by flipping it to reveal its preserved backside!

Plan your visit to the Henry B. Plant Museum to check them out in person. For more information visit https://www.plantmuseum.com

Film Premiere! 🎥Our Great Pasha: Inventing American OperettaFree AdmissionWhat is American about American operetta? 🎭 Ou...
09/03/2026

Film Premiere! 🎥
Our Great Pasha: Inventing American Operetta
Free Admission

What is American about American operetta? 🎭
Our Great Pasha reconstructs Richard Stahl’s Said Pasha to uncover a hidden chapter in American musical theater—and explore race, representation, and the genre’s surprising origins. Filmed at the historic Tampa Theatre and Henry B. Plant Museum.

📍 Taylor Screening Room, Tampa Theatre
🗓️ September 19, 2026, 1:00 PM
⏰ Film (42 minutes) followed by a live performance and filmmaker conversation

Seating is limited; advance registration required.
RSVP to Jill D’Anna at 813-258-7302 or [email protected]

For more information visit https://www.plantmuseum.com

Reminder: Active military personnel and their families (up to 5 family members) receive free admission to the Museum thi...
09/02/2026

Reminder: Active military personnel and their families (up to 5 family members) receive free admission to the Museum this summer through September 7! 🇺🇸 We are proud to be part of Blue Star Museums, a national appreciation program to thank our military families for their service and sacrifice. If you haven't joined us yet, don't wait! Visit before or on Labor Day to take advantage of this offer - just show your valid active military ID card at our front desk.

For more information, visit plantmuseum.com.

08/31/2026

Did you know that Henry B. Plant’s steamships and railroads laid the foundation for Tampa’s legendary cigar industry? 🚂🚢

Museum Director Dr. Charles McGraw Groh stands outside the J.C. Newman Cigar Company's historic 1910 building, which remains a fully operational cigar factory preserving one of our city's most important craft traditions.

Plan a visit to the factory or the Henry B. Plant Museum to discover how Plant's transportation system helped build an industry!

For more information:
https://www.jcnewman.com/
https://www.plantmuseum.com

Welcome, UTampa Class of 2030! The Henry B. Plant Museum has been welcoming students to UTampa since 1933.Pictured here ...
08/31/2026

Welcome, UTampa Class of 2030!
The Henry B. Plant Museum has been welcoming students to UTampa since 1933.

Pictured here are University of Tampa student government officers Edna Frances Prince, Dorothy Pou, Wofford Wait, and W.B. Dickenson.

Photo courtesy of the Tampa Morning Tribune, June 2, 1933

Come visit the Museum and explore Tampa's rich history.

For more information https://www.plantmuseum.com

Enjoy free museum admission and a special conservation and restoration demonstration with Terry and Bill Clements of Cle...
08/27/2026

Enjoy free museum admission and a special conservation and restoration demonstration with Terry and Bill Clements of Clements Restorations. Visitors will have the rare opportunity to explore our historic exhibits and witness firsthand the techniques used to preserve priceless artifacts.

Don't miss out on an unforgettable museum experience!

For more information, please contact Curator of Education Selena Martinez at [email protected].

🗓️ Friday, September 4, 2026
⏰ Free Admission: 4:30–7:00 PM and Demonstration at 5:00 PM
📍 Henry B. Plant Museum

The Museum will be closed Saturday, August 22, for campus-wide maintenance. We will resume normal business hours on Sund...
08/21/2026

The Museum will be closed Saturday, August 22, for campus-wide maintenance.

We will resume normal business hours on Sunday, August 23. We apologize for any inconvenience and appreciate your understanding.

For more information visit https://www.plantmuseum.com

08/19/2026

Museum Director Dr. Charles McGraw Groh shares an authentic historical captain's log kept by James T. Decker, commander of the S.S. Mascot, spanning the years 1892 to 1894. This crucial document chronicles his routine maritime voyages connecting Tampa, Key West, and Cuba when the cigar manufacturing industry first established its deep roots in the Tampa Bay region.

It wasn't just smooth sailing, though. This log exposes the intense realities of 19th-century maritime travel.

To plan your visit or learn more about our Age of Rail and Steam exhibit https://www.plantmuseum.com/exhibits/current-exhibits/plant’s-southern-empire

🏨 Please join us for free admission and specialty presentation!It's Celebrate Sunset, where history of the expansive Pla...
08/17/2026

🏨 Please join us for free admission and specialty presentation!

It's Celebrate Sunset, where history of the expansive Plant System comes to life through stories, photographs, and objects. The highlight of the evening features a lecture beginning at 5 PM that explores the fascinating legacy of Henry Plant's seven other grand hotels — the Inn at Port Tampa, Kissimmee Hotel, the Seminole, Punta Gorda Hotel, Hotel Belleview, Ocala House, and Fort Myers Hotel.

Discover the elegance, ambition, and enduring spirit of Florida's Gilded Age hotels and resorts!

For more information, please contact Curator of Education Selena Martinez at [email protected].

🗓️ Friday, August 21
⏰ 4:30 PM - 7:00 PM
📍 Henry B. Plant Museum

Join us as we journey back to the Gildied Age to find out how Florida's luxury resorts including the Tampa Bay Hotel tra...
08/14/2026

Join us as we journey back to the Gildied Age to find out how Florida's luxury resorts including the Tampa Bay Hotel transformed Tampa into a premier health retreat.

Don't miss this exclusive presentation and book signing event featuring acclaimed author Rick Kilby as he discusses his captivating book, Florida's Healing Waters: Gilded Age Mineral Springs, Seaside Resorts, and Health Spas.

The book examines how Florida’s natural wonders were promoted and developed as restorative destinations for America’s emerging upper class. The rapid growth in tourism infrastructure that began during the Gilded Age lasted well into the twentieth century. Kilby explains how these resorts helped boost the economy of modern Florida. Resorts in the book include Safety Harbor, Hotel Alcazar and the Tampa Bay Hotel!

📚 Book Signing and Presentation

🗓️ Saturday, August 15
⏰ 3:00 - 4:30 PM
📍Henry B. Plant Museum
🍪 Light refreshments will be served

For more information, please contact Selena Martinez, Curator of Education, at [email protected].

Explore how Tampa’s story begins here:
https://www.plantmuseum.com

Address

401 W Kennedy Boulevard
Tampa, FL
33606

Telephone

+18132541891

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